02/12/2013

Cancelled tryout camp costs players money and opportunity

Mark Maren

A number of aspiring football players
are out thousands of dollars in expenses and registration cost –and
have been denied valuable exposure – after a prominent CFL agent
cancelled a tryout camp in Mexico at the last minute.

Mark Maren, who has a stable of clients
that includes former Ticat quarterback Kevin Glenn, recruited players
from around North America to attend a two-day workout in Cancun,
Mexico on Feb. 2 and 3. But just a day before the event was scheduled
to begin – and with some players already en route – the event was
cancelled.

It wasn’t just players who were
inconvenienced. Officials from at least a half dozen CFL teams,
including the Ticats, had made arrangements to attend the combine to
evaluate players.

Several players and officials allege
that promises to pay expenses and other costs were not fulfilled. A
photographer hired for the camp says a cheque for expenses bounced
and he says he has filed a complaint with police.

This isn’t the first time Maren has
been accused of writing bad cheques. In December, 2010, Maren was
arrested at the Ogdensburg, N.Y., border crossing after U.S. Customs
and Border Protection officials discovered that Maren was wanted in
Florida on “scheme to defraud” charges.

In July of 2011, he pled guilty to
three counts of petty theft, paid fines of almost $1,500 and paid
more than $17,000 in restitution to two banks and a woman in Florida.

The Toronto-born Maren now lives is
Akumal, Mexico, located 100km south of Cancun, for most of the year.
Repeated attempts to reach him for comment via phone, text and
Facebook were unsuccessful.

“2-Day Professional free agent
combine which will allow you to showcase your talents in front of ALL
8 CFL teams GUARNTEED!!” stated a Facebook page started by Maren’s
company, M Sports Management. “Last year over 35% of participants
signed a professional contract!!”

Quarterback Micah Brown, who played at
St. Mary’s University in 2010 and still lives in Halifax, was
already in Atlanta when he received an email notifying him that the
combine was off.

“He told me, just get down there and
we’ll look after everything else,” Brown said. “But when I got
stuck, I had to book hotels, buy food, rent a car... I even had to
buy warm clothes because I was supposed to be in Mexico.”

Brown, an American who played played
for the U.S. at the World Championships of American Football in
Austria in 2011, says he’s out over $2,000 and has filed a
complaint with the Halifax police.

But the money is only part of what’s
bothering him.

“This is was an opportunity to be
seem by all of the teams at once instead of flying out for just one
workout. I was looking at this as my last shot to get into the CFL,”
said Brown. “Getting duped out of money is one thing but I’ve
been duped out of an opportunity.”

Brown says he’s been represented by
Maren since 2011 and that the agent waived the camp’s $750
registration fee. Others weren’t so lucky.

Deondre Kyles was put on to Maren by
one his clients, current Blue Bomber and fellow Middle Tennessee
State alum Alex Suber. He says he paid Maren $750 to attend the camp.

“The day before, I got an email
saying they had cancelled it,” Kyles said. “Now I’m wondering
if we going to be able to get our money back, I’m confused by the
whole situation.”

Toronto Argonaut general manager Jim
Barker found out the event was cancelled at the last minute but went
anyway after Maren assured him his flight and hotel would be covered.

“He said he was going to give me a
cheque for my flight but he never did,” Barker said. “He told me
that he’d cover my room but then told me that I’d have to pay for
my room, too.”

Photographer Joe Chrvala, who met Maren
on one of his recruiting trips to Halifax and was asked to document
the event, also went to Mexico and says he’s out almost $1,400
after the cheque that Maren gave him to cover expenses bounced.

“I’m pissed off. Instead of being a
man and saying ‘I screwed up, I don’t have the money’ he gives
me a bad cheque and hugs me,” said Chrvala, a retired Canadian
naval officer who takes photos of the sports teams at St. Mary’s as
a hobby. “I’m disgusted.”

Chrvala says he has also reported to
the incident to Halifax police.

Maren’s name does not appear at the
CFL Players Association’s list of registered agents and sources
within the CFLPA say Maren was never certified by the organization.
He was asked to explain himself after the conviction in Florida, but
refused.

Barker said Maren held a similar event
last year that was “fabulously run” and the Argos signed two
players out it – he was hopeful that this year’s version would be
as productive.

“I don’t know what happened. I know
I like Mark and I don’t think he’s an inherently bad person,”
Barker said. “I think he got himself into a situation and whether
he handled it right or not, I don’t know.”

The players are less forgiving. Running
back Antonio Leak, who travelled from Arkansas to Atlanta before
getting word that the combine was cancelled, says he’s still hoping
to get a look from a CFL club.

“[Maren] was telling me about all the
scouts that were going to be there. I think it was all a joke. I’m
out my money and I’m mad about that,” Leak said, who estimates
he’s out over $1,300.

While non-sanctioned Jim Barker says they signed 2 players at a similar event last year. If non-sanctioned, then why did any CFL teams take part? To me this smells of being sanctioned as in "A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet".

It would be a great PR move for the CFL to invite these guys to regional camps (one in each CFL city) just prior to TC. The good will generated both player wise and fan wise would well be worth the cost.

I was one of the people who flew to Cancun to participate in this event, so trust me what I say is not bias.

Yes the event got canceled and I am sure there were people who had to cancel last minute flights and I bet they were upset...but as for attacking Mark Marens credibility and character because of this is a mistake!

I flew all the way from Alicante, Spain and ended up in Mexico without a place to stay and stranded but as soon as Mark found out that I was there he immediately booked me a hotel and eventually moved me to a condo right on the beach, and he personally fixed the whole ordeal. He is a great man and even after all the things that happened I still trust the guy.

Mark is not a "snake" or a "crook" or anything like that, he is a entrepreneur and small business owner that is working his ass off to help students and athletes further their football carriers. Just because a event gets postponed (unfortunately at the last minute) and hurts some people, that does not make the person who invested his time, effort and THOUSANDS of dollars in that event a bad person. Anyone who has ever been a private business owner or creator of almost anything knows that sometimes shit happens.

I hope that the Cancun Combine gets rescheduled and players are able to get a second chance at this, because I do know that Mark will be doing everything in his power to fix anything he messed up with this whole situation.

I feel really sorry for the players who most likely don't have $1000 or so dollars to toss around since they are just finishing up their education. Not only are they out the $$$ but they may have lost out on maybe their only opportunity to show CFL scouts their skills. Hopefully they do get another opportunity to try out. Can't understand how this guy is still in business! Buyer Beware is right!!

The credibility of the CFL has been tarnished with this incident and the league should take steps to remedy the situation. These players who've been conned by this CFL player's agent...should at least be afforded a tryout.

These free agent combines/camps should also be registered with the CFL such that they then could promote themselves as "registered with the CFL". Beyond that, and until such time as this registration starts, it's "caveat emptor".